1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to media selection. More specifically, the present invention relates to traffic-based media selection.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many types of media files. Media files may include static files (e.g., text and stationary graphics), dynamic files (e.g., video and/or audio), and various combinations of the foregoing. Such media files may be available in various formats and played on any variety of media players.
A media player may play multiple media files based on any variety of lists and/or based on direct user selection. For example, a playlist may be provided to the media player, which causes each media file to be played in the order provided. The playlist may be generated and based, at least in part, on one or more user selections, on a randomizing algorithm (e.g., shuffle), or a combination of the foregoing (e.g., random playback of a user's top ten selections). Alternatively, the media player may receive user selections one at a time.
Various types of media players may be used to expose one or more media files to an audience. For example, presently available billboards are capable of displaying various multi-media advertising to passing pedestrian and automobile traffic. Such advertising may include a series of different types of media files. Such media files may be played and/or displayed in a timed series. For example, a graphical display may be displayed for a minute, followed by a video played for a minute, followed by a second video played for a minute, and so forth. Each media file may be played in a predetermined series or may be played at random.
Such methods of media selection are not responsive to the changing conditions of the audience (i.e., the density or flow rate of the traffic). Unresponsiveness to changing traffic conditions may mean that various media files are not displayed to their best advantage, which may affect the effectiveness of advertising. Further, the unresponsive of a media display device with respect to traffic conditions may lead to risky or even dangerous situations. For example, a billboard playing an extremely dynamic media file (e.g., a high-definition video) before a quickly flowing stream of vehicular traffic may cause one or more individuals to become distracted, which may lead to traffic jams and even collisions. Similar risks may occur in the context of pedestrian traffic. There is, therefore, a need for improved methods for traffic-based media selection.